In the aftermath of the annihilation of the LTTE, various individuals who were peripherally involved in the battlefield, reporting the progress of the war on the electronic media, have been felicitated with public receptions usually reserved for the gallant soldiers in combat.

Amidst this hoopla, all seem to have forgotten the more sustained role performed over a protracted period of time by a few dedicated and committed professionals in journalism who reported the events on the battlefield, the progress of the war, analysis of strategic issues and international responses. This small group of dedicated men consistently and persistently worked on the theme that the LTTE is a horrendous outfit of terrorists who must and can be defeated militarily. They countered the myth of invincibility of the LTTE carefully orchestrated on behalf of the LTTE by NGOs INGOs, the international community and unfortunately by some of our own political leadership prior to 2005. They kept faith with our Defence capabilities and in no small measure sustained the Nation’s confidence in winning the war.

Foremost among these journalists was Prabath Sahabandu, editor of The Island, whose editorials on issues of relevance to the foregoing were absolute masterpieces. But that didn’t prevent The Island from taking on the government over many issues including presidential pardon offered to wife of a minister serving term of life imprisonment and two heroin carriers.

Shamindra Ferdinando of The Island and Keerthi Waranakulasuriya of the Divaina are two others who never deviated from his belief that the LTTE could be defeated on the battlefield. There was no mudslinging or personal vilification or slander or devious attempts to create rifts within the defence establishment. The number of editorials of The Island reproduced by the army.lk is evidence of the faith the defence establishment had in UNL.

The country should felicitate and recognise this elitist group of journalists who have done their profession and country proud.